We've moved!

Hi everyone,

We have officially moved and expanded the blog and resources available to help people put themselves in the center of the equation. Check out our new site at www.intheequation.com. There you can sign up easily for the RSS feed and easily share and comment on blog posts.

Thanks for following my transformation journey and providing ongoing support. Here is the link to the new blog.

Moving the blog to new format!

Hello friends,

This week, we will be moving intheequation.com to a new blog format that is easier to use, follow, and interact with. Yay! Blogger has been a tough format and many of you have told me that you have tried to comment or follow the blog and have been unsuccessful. Plus, we are providing more information and integration with social media. You will be able to follow the blog by RSS feed and share it more easily. My goal is to eventually create an online community at intheequation.com.

Stay tuned for the new link and don't be surprised when this blog is moved to a new format. For those of you who currently follow it here, you will need to re-subscribe just one time in the new format.

Thanks for following my journey. I can't wait to share Lori in the equation - part 2 - and support you on your transformation journey.

Hugs.
Lori

Embracing my competitive spirit & mud to boot!

Most people who know me would say that I have a competitive side. Some might argue that is the understatement of the year! I like to think of it is a "healthy competitive spirit" (smile) and I KNOW it is one of the qualities that led to my success in losing 200+ pounds over the past 18 months.

On July 4th, that competitive spirit thrived. I competed in my first ever 10K race - the Tofte Trek Wilderness Run/Walk - on my beloved North Shore. For months, I have watched others compete in 5K and 10K races, even half marathons and a half ironman. I waved it off thinking the "race" scene was not for me.

A couple of months ago, I was convinced to sign up for the Women's Half Marathon in Bloomington, MN, this August. I plan to walk it to preserve my knees and must walk faster than an 18 min mile to finish the race before being kicked off the course. The "lower key" Tofte Trek on my beloved North Shore trails - six weeks before the Women's Half Marathon - seemed like a good training idea.

So, I donned race #17 and competed in the Tofte Trek 10K Wilderness Walk on Independence Day. I coaxed my friend and client, Sally Nankivell, into doing the race with me on the agreement that we would walk for fun, not competitively, and catch up personally and professionally in the process. Sally had some concern about signing up to be my walking partner and discussed my competitive spirit with me the day before the race. I assured her that I would rather have a partner than compete, and that my goal was just to finish. I didn't care so much about winning or even finishing in the top rankings.

Or so I thought! As we prepared to make our way to the starting line, I could feel the adrenaline and was pretty darn excited. And well, as it turns out, I LOVED everything about my first ever competitive race, including...

• The fact that you get a cute little race number and a bag of goodies, including a fun t-shirt; 
• Friends, neighbors and locals cheer you on along the route; 
• Many healthy and fit people - including good looking single men - run the race; 
• It involves spending time outside on nature trails in a gorgeous place - trails that I have come to love;
• You get to cross a finish line and hear your name called while people cheer for you;
• I am competing not only with myself but also with others; 
• And, perhaps best of all, you get to run through mud puddles and get all dirty! Who knew this girl would LOVE that?!

Sally, her friend Linnea and I started out at a nice reasonable clip and, while I led our group of three, we all kept a nice conversational pace up until about 3-4K. Admittedly, I wanted to pass up the single file line of walkers in front of me and had to quiet the internal voice that wanted to take off. At 3K, I got distracted from this urge to forge ahead at the first watering station where we knew the crew and they cheered us on and handed us water and sport drinks (FUN!). Not long after that stop when the trail opened up, Sally urged me to go for it and do my competitive best. Really?! 

Feeling just a bit of guilt about choosing my competitive side over friendship, I picked up the pace and started to pass walkers one by one, turning it up a notch and then two. I worked the second half of the course as hard and fast as I could through the rough terrain, tall grass, mud holes, and, yes, moving aside constantly so the more competitive runners who had the right of way could run on the single lane trail. I saw one guy lose both shoes in a big mud hole, and as we approached the biggest, widest mud hole of the entire course I had 10 runners on my tail and had to move off into an even deeper mud hole. Yes, indeed, I fell and was in mud up to waist. FUN!

Covered in a waist to toe coating of cool wet mud, I picked up the pace and pushed on. As we got closer to the finish line, there were even more cheering fans, including some really cute guys from the US Forest Service whose station we passed along the route! Locals sprinkled cool water on us...while telling us we were doing a great job and we were almost there. It was so much fun!

As I pushed past the finish line and they read my name and city - again to resounding cheers and kudos from clients and work colleagues on the sidelines. As I crossed that line, I just knew I was now hooked on this whole racing idea. I decided to embrace my competitive spirit knowing that indeed there will be many more races in my future, and hopefully, many with mud! As I walked back to meet up with Sally and Linnea and walk them to the finish line, I realized that I wasn't even tired. Yeah. Mission accomplished.

I finished the race #8 of 33 women walkers at about a 15.40 min mile. For a wilderness trail with mud and obstacles, all the while stepping aside to give the right of way to the runners, I was happy with that time. And I think it bods well for the half marathon which is nearly twice that distance but on more solid ground. What a way to start the day, uncovering not just my competitive spirit but a passion for fitness, health and anything where people stand on the sidelines and cheer for me! :-)

Some people might be hesitant to admit to their competitive nature or their fondness of what it feels like to have cheerleaders on the sidelines supporting you. Not me. I KNOW that both of those things helped me achieve my weight loss goal this past year. And so I celebrate that competitive spirit and thank all of those who cheered me on - Wednesday in the race, and in my race to lose 200+ pounds.

If you had told me two years ago that I would be competing in athletic races of any kind - let alone a wilderness trek or a mud run, after a week of climbing some serious mountains in Maine, I would have laughed at you. And yet, look at me now! I am, having so much fun embracing the new, active and fit Lori that I can't wait to see what is next. The truth is, I am considering actual rock climbing up the side of cliffs with ropes! But for now, bring on the mud.

A magic diet pill?

In all the big news of late - including Obamacare upheld by the Supreme Court - the headline about Belvig (a new weight-loss pill) being approved by the FDA may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

This one is important to me. How many times did I pray for a diet pill that would solve my obesity problem? Many, many, many times. If only it were that simple. Certainly, if it were, we wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic in this country.

The diet drug adjusts Serotonin levels in the brain to make you feel full. (For many of us, this wouldn't have helped!) In my view, the impact/results shown in the study were somewhat insignificant. They studied 7,000 people who lost about 5% of their body weight on average -- about 13 lbs -- in one year! 

No disrespect intended but I lost that in 1-2 weeks the good old fashioned healthy way through diet and exercise. I lost 175 lbs in one year and 200+ in 1 1/2 years. If I had only lost 13 lbs a year (or even 20) I probably would not have stuck with the plan/program.

The FDA urges diet and exercise with the drug for best results. :) And while it is the first diet pill to be approved in 13 years, they did refuse to approve the same drug in 2010. In addition to the side affects and risk factors mentioned (see articles below), the drug apparently caused tumors in animals tested. Many argue it is too early to tell whether there are really any serious side affects. Then in my view, the drug is not safe. Many so called diet pills have already been pulled from the market after being FDA approved.

I believe diet and exercise are not only the healthiest ways to drop significant weight, but doable. If I can do it, I know you can. I just came from a very inspiring group meeting tonight of women -- all obese -- working the same program and path I worked. Many of them also prayed for that magic pill but in my view they are all going to experience the same kind of amazing results I had because of their sheer will and determination to work the program over time.

I never want to take away anyone's hope. In fact, quite the contrary. But my advice is to make sure you know the facts before you put your hope or your health in the hands of a magic diet pill. There is a lot of information out there for you to make your own decision on this matter. 

The one thing I know for sure: diet and exercise work. I am standing here to prove it. And while it wasn't magic, I wouldn't trade one moment of my life-changing transformation journey today for a pill! Not one moment because I transformed on the inside and out.


Here are a few links to some of the press on the newly approved diet pill.
Belviq: 5 Things You Need to Know About the New Weight-Loss Pill 
FDA approves prescription diet drug Belviq  
Weight-loss pill claims to fight obesity

One brave thing

From my place of personal retreat

This morning I awoke to my body’s own alarm clock for the sixth day in a row – no buzzing cell phones, alarms or blaring radio. Turns out, my body functions quite well on 6 to 7 hours a sleep as long as I get that sleep consistently. From my big beautiful King bed with a view of the ocean, I listened to the gentle pitter-patter of the soft rain on the roof top, stretched my legs while embracing every stretch deep in my calves all the way to my the tips of my toes.

I breathed deeply and concentrated on the sound of my breathe releasing from my body. And then I eased out of bed thinking about how cool it is that I have seen a butterfly every day of this week-long personal retreat – a butterfly the symbol of transformation!

As I made my morning coffee and took in the expansive view of gorgeous Penobscot Bay at near high tide, I smiled at how fortunate I am to be greeted by this view each morning. I thought about how much I love to watch the tide roll in and out - how calm and centering it is. Honestly, I could watch the tide roll in and out all day. And it strikes me that this is a perfectly acceptable thing to do when on retreat.

It fills me up as the tide rises to fill the ocean bed, giving the sea creatures new life and places to explore. And when the tide descends out to expose the ocean floor, I feel my challenges or perceived problems flowing out with the tide creating fresh space in my heart and mind for what comes next. Low tide is perfect because it gives us fertile places to explore and we always discover something new and interesting. Low tide leaves tide pools behind to foster that new life and discovery and we always have the certainty that just as the tide rolled out and exposed something, it will come back in to high tide and fill us up. Perhaps our most important lesson from the tide is to learn to go with the flow. To experience the beauty both as the tide rolls in to fill up the basin and as it rolls out to expose new life and opportunities and things yet to be discovered.

I love that thought. I love this day. I am a lucky girl. Today, like the tide, I will go with the flow.

What’s the point?
I came to Maine on personal retreat. And none of these things I just described noticing in full would have happened had I been back in Minnesota in my day to day life. So I am celebrating that. I am celebrating me today.

This retreat didn’t start out as such. In fact, it started out as a business planning expedition and I had hoped that a friend and future business partner might accompany me here to climb some big mountains, celebrate my transformation, and ponder how we might help thousands of people transform their bodies and lives. Yes, in my mind, it was to be a trip of big and bold discoveries answering the question: What next? All, while climbing the big and bold mountains of Acadia National Park.

When it became clear that this business planning exploration wasn’t going to work out, I decided to come to Maine anyway. I immediately and enthusiastically recruited friends and colleagues to join me for all or part of the trip now deemed part vacation and part business planning. I was determined to have a climbing partner so as to climb some really big mountains in Acadia in my new, fit body and spirit. I was a woman on a mission.

About the same time the trip neared on the calendar and none of my friends and colleagues were able to make it happen, my life started to get a bit crazy. My sleep slipped to 4-5 hours instead of the needed 6-7; my work life started to feel a bit out of control and it was clear my growing business needed me to solve some big challenges; and I began to struggle again with emotional and compulsive eating issues – out of the blue after 1 ½ years of plan success. It occurred to me that all of these things were signs that I was slipping out of the center of the equation of my life, and I wasn’t sure how to live in this new body and new life sans 200+ pounds. I needed a time out. A place of personal retreat, all alone, to refocus my energy around Lori in the equation, chapter 2.

What does life look like, feel like and need to “be” like sans the 200+ pounds I have been hiding behind for most of my adult life? How do I maintain this record weight loss as the fanfare surrounding my success dies down and it is just me standing in the kitchen? And, perhaps most importantly, how do I make certain that when life’s challenges and opportunities come my way I remain in the center of my life open to the possibilities before me? How do I ensure that, just like I was open to the opportunities when I met O’Neal Hampton and Leif Anderson who guided me on this transformation journey, I can see the new opportunities (perhaps a romance, a new business, a new partner…) and am ready to grab hold and take the leap? How do I stay true to myself and my values when relationships challenge me testing my love, fortitude, boundaries, and my ability to let go and let God? These are the questions that fill my heart. My very happy heart. But nonetheless, it occurs to me that I don’t yet have the answers. They lie within me and it is time to explore. This, is my chapter 2.

Lori in the equation #2
And so here I am. Alone. On personal retreat in one of my favorite places on earth – my friend’s gorgeous coastal home overlooking Penobscot Bay less than an hour from Acadia National Park. I am edged between the sea that I love so very much and the mountains that I have grown to love for all they represent about this journey. I am in life transition - a place of endless opportunity! And while I could in no way have predicted this life transition 1 ½ or 2 years ago, I am thrilled to embrace it and ponder what next? My goal is to love the questions themselves and to live into the answers - as one of my favorite writers and poets Rilke so eloquently said.

Rather unexpectedly and perfectly I am doing it for Lori. It is about only Lori. And it is providing me the time, opportunity and space to look deep into my heart and soul and determine what I want, what I need, and where I go from here. It is perfect. It is exactly how it is meant to be...and where it is meant to be.

What will happen for me this week and beyond is yet to be determined. But, I have embarked on this “One Brave Thing” experiment to encourage myself to do one brave thing a day while here and to blog about the experience in an effort to challenge myself and continue to push my limits. But more importantly, because I CAN! It is fun for me now to do new things, try new things, be open to new things. Frankly, it's all I want to do.

This newly transformed Lori LOVES life right now and is empowered by a new belief and guiding principle that she can do anything, absolutely anything, she sets her mind to. The opportunities are endless. I now live from a wholehearted, passionate and connected place, living and loving with my whole heart, my whole self exposed sans 200 pounds. It is scary at times. This is new territory for sure. But it is from here – from this place of total and complete authenticity and vulnerability – that I will blossom and thrive and hope. I also believe it is from here that I will inspire others and change lives – including my own.

So here I go. Exploring my next chapter and determining how best to be true to myself and hold myself in the center of my own life, while doing all the things that I want to do and help all of the people I want to help. It is from this place that I expect to fall in love, change the world, and who knows how or when or where. That’s the exciting part! And yes, perhaps, the scary part. But remember, “I’ve got this!” “We’ve got this!”

Peace by piece
Just before I got on the plane this past week, I read a blog that touched me deeply. It was titled, Peace by Piece, by Chris Assaad, and the opening paragraphs captured my attention as if it were speaking directly to me and just the right moment. It read:

“Life is a journey, a process that unfolds one moment at a time. One of the greatest challenges that we as twenty-first-century human beings face is living in this world of doing and striving, while at the same time honoring the here and now, the moment that we’re living in at present.

We all have sky-high dreams and ambition to reach the top of the mountain, but so often we forget that it is the quality of every step we take along the way that will determine not only if and how quickly we reach our destination, but also what our experience of the path that takes us there will be like.

As has been said many times before, it is not the goal itself we are really after, but how we will FEEL when we get there. It is not the soul mate that we really want, but the experience of love, connection, and intimacy that we will be able to share with them. It is not the job itself that we are after, but the sense of accomplishment and security that will come with it. It is not the shiny award that we really desire, but the feeling of being enough and the validation of our ability that it represents. And the great mystery of life and the spiritual path is that all of those feelings are available to us RIGHT NOW, not out there but deep within us.”

And so it is. I go exploring, seeing, being, experiencing and listening to my heart. Ah yes, mountains will be climbed (big ones conquered solo), and there is something so perfect and so powerful in that. I am exactly where I should be. And you know what else? I am enough. I am all that I need. And wow, does that feel incredible to say, write and believe for the first time in my life. I am indeed enough.

*Stay tuned for my one brave thing a day blogs coming soon.

My first "real" press hits newstands

Hi all,

Thanks for your love, support and kind messages this past week as my Minnesota Monthly Magazine makeover piece hit newsstands. I have been inundated with calls, emails and facebook greetings in the past 4-5 days. I am humbled and blessed by your belief in me. Thank you!

The article is now posted online and you can read it here. What a surreal experience to see your picture and story plastered all over the pages of a magazine that people read! This past Wednesday night, I was watching people on the plane from MSP to Bangor, Maine reading my story. Wow, felt strange for someone who is constantly behind the scenes pitching others' stories to the media to now suddenly be the focus of the story. A bit unnerving, I have to admit.

The truth is, I loved the makeover and Minnesota Monthly Style Editor Katie Dohman did justice to my transformation story with a style and fashion bent/new identity bent. Not that easy to do. A special thank you to Katie for taking this on and being so supportive of my journey. Also, thanks to my friend Christine Strub who helped with the makeover photo shoot; Jeanne Carpenter who has pitched my story to local media; and to all of you who have encouraged, cheered and supported me throughout this transformation journey.

I am a lucky, lucky girl and feel so blessed! This week, I am celebrating the next chapter in Downeast Maine, Penobscot Bay. What next? Determining how to maintain a healthy and active life with the focus on Lori in the equation. Speaking of fit and active, I am climbing some big mountains right now in Acadia National Park. More on this topic and our new blog launch - very soon! Stay tuned.

In the meantime, thanks gain for your love and support. It makes all the difference. I am simply overwhelmed with joy and gratitude.

Cheers!
Lori

What choices am I making?

"Transformation is not five minutes from now; it's a present activity. In this moment you can make a different choice, and it's these small choices and successes that build up over time to help cultivate a healthy self-image and self esteem." 

                                                                                                                                                           ~Jillian Michaels

Are we done yet?

The most frequently asked question I get about my transformation these days is: "Are you done yet?"

After dieting for 18 months and losing more than 210 lbs, people assume I am at goal and "done." A fair assumption. After all, I did have a party and celebrate my transformation!

This question packs a powerful punch. For me it raises the question: "Are we ever "done?" Or rather, "Are we ever really "there?"

I have been on a diet and exercise program - transforming my body inside and out - for exactly 1 1/2 years. And today this question is more prevalent than ever before. Today, I re-visited the bod pod to accurately measure my body fat percentage. I am 14.5%. Whoooo hooo!

To put that number in perspective, this is the low end of the range for women athletes. And, it is another 4% drop or 8.5 lbs of body fat for me in the last 2 1/2 months. I last measured April 1, 2012 and you can read about the accuracy of the bod pod test and my previous results here.

My hard numbers: 

-211 lbs, -47.5% body fat, and -11/12 dress sizes in 1 1/2 years. 

I think it is safe to say that I am a lean, fat burning and muscle building machine. In my own terms, a healthy, fit and active girl who is living a bran new life. I have changed as much (or more) on the inside as on the outside. And so, the question remains, "Am I done?"

Are we ever "done?"
My view is that we are never "done," but rather move through phases or stages of transformation...and life. I believe I am ready to be done dieting, but we'll see what my transformation coach says. I have lost my weight (fat) and transformed my body and my life with optimal speed and efficiency. This is thanks to my amazing customized plan, and my determination to execute that plan and achieve my goal. In the process, I have reached so many other personal milestones. Now, I am healthy and fit inside and out. And oh so happy!

So, yes, I am ready to move to the next phase of maintenance and to start living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life. I am in the process of determining what that really means to me. I will make a new list of "non-negotiables" to keep me in the center of the equation of a new life where the goal changes from weight (fat) loss to weight maintenance and fun, active living!

There is freedom in that. There is anticipation of this whole new life in a bran new body sans the 200+ lbs that I was hiding behind for much of my adult life. And yes, let's be honest, there is fear. Fear of slipping back to old patterns and behaviors and putting the weight back on.

But, mostly there is happiness, hope, excitement, and joy over my new number -- 14.5% body fat. Can I please say "whooo hooo," again?!

A message of hope
To all of my colleagues and friends who are in mid journey - in particular those struggling to execute their plans at 100%, frustrated by emotional challenges and life stresses - I urge you to find inspiration and hope in my story. You can do this if you focus on the long-term goal and persevere one day, one meal, one step at a time. Indeed that is how I did it.

For those of you struggling to find balance and put yourself in the center of your life and be true to yourself, the same is true. It is with focus on the goal, determination and perseverance that you will find your way. And when you falter, as you most certainly will, find your strength in the learning from the slips or set backs, then get right back on the horse and do it again.

So to all who are on a path of personal transformation, I offer this one simple message: If I can do it, you can do it!

It is absolutely, positively, without a doubt within your reach. And I am living proof that not only you can do it, but life on the other side of fear - well, it is totally awesome! Use my story and my 14.5% number as the inspiration you need to ROCK IT in your own way and on your own path.

Remember, as my beloved friend and mentor O'Neal Hampton would say: "We've got this!" We've totally got this!

Hugs!

Lori


**For those of you interested in learning more about your ideal body fat percentage or the bod pod evaluation to accurately calculate your body composition, check out these links.

Body Fat Composition & Percent Body Fat
Ideal Body Fat Percentage Chart: American Council on Exercise
Body Fat Percentage: What Gets Measured & Managed

The Bod Pod: Capsule like tube uses air displacement to measure your body composition. Most argue this is currently the most accurate measure of body composition.

What are you made of? The Bod Pod Knows All

I have my testing done at Arete Fitness in Edina. Ask for Nathan Walsh and tell him Lori Schaefer sent you. The University of Minnesota also has a machine.

Celebrating 1.5 years on the path to healthy Lori

Today's hike on the Superior Hiking Trail at my beloved Temperance River State Park was extraordinary. I have made this trek countless times and it remains one of my favorites. But today both the physical and spiritual experience topped all others. I traveled far faster than ever before along this windy trail and much deeper into the forest, stopped only by time and the threat of my day job looming.

Hiking along the Temperance River is a spiritual journey. You trek along to the roar of gushing, raging water as the powerful river makes its way through the gorge, and then reach the calm of the stream trickling by softly as it trails off through the Superior National Forest toward Lutsen Mountains.

Here, I leave my work and worries behind. I hit the trail in early morning before other humans awake and the forest is disturbed. I have the trail all to myself. It is in the peacefulness of these calm and quiet mornings that I become one with nature, the roaring water, and my deepest self.

As I hiked old faithful today, I not only beat my fastest time by almost double, but as I reached the staircase of what once seemed perilous steps leading up to the old High Falls, I felt stronger, more fit, and more alive than ever before! Incredibly grateful for this new body and new life, my feet were swift and my spirit soared.

I recalled the days when I couldn't hike to this point along the trail because the distance was too far. I would only get as far as the lower falls (less than 1 mile) and have to stop and turn around. Today, as I literally ran those same steps in my now -210 lb body, I remembered the very first time I tackled them and how challenging they were. And that was after a nearly 100 lb weight loss.

I reminisced about my boot camp in Dec. 2010 and how difficult it was to hurl my 350+ lb body up the hills of the then wintry trails in snowshoes. Each step was painstaking. I couldn't even bend over to put on my snowshoes, I had to ask Andy, Mark and Jeremy from Bluefin Bay who accompanied us on the hikes to strap them on each and every time.

And I remembered my mindset during boot camp and how I wanted to quit about 100 times per day. My internal voice told me I couldn't do it...I was not strong enough...fast enough...thin enough...I was not good enough. (Pause.) I was not good enough.

Well, today, I am not only good enough - I ROCK! My legs are strong and will carry me up these steps. My arms are muscular and will propel me along the trail. My heart is resilient and will pump the blood and oxygen necessary to take me as far as I want to go - as far as time and my day job will allow. And, perhaps most significantly, my mind is powerful and positive. I push past doubt, pain, and fear to accomplish things I never thought possible. I  know that I can do absolutely anything. There is simply no stopping me now.

So on my beloved trail today, I celebrated the new fit and active Lori in a brand new book (body), living in the center of her full and happy life. Today's hike, on the 1 1/2 year anniversary of my transformation journey, provided the opportunity for me to thank God and be grateful for this gift and my new, transformed body and life inside and out.

I carried with me in spirit my new group of seven resilient and determined women who are rockin' their own journeys and are part of my 100% Club; my friends who are struggling to find their way and to put themselves in the equation of their own lives and be true to their own spirit and soul; and all of you success stories in the making who are transforming your lives.

There is no question that if I can do it, you can do it. And let me tell you, life on the other side of fear and self-doubt, is about as awesome as it gets! Remember, "we've got this."

Watch my transformation journey in video slideshow

My unsung heroes

This past week, I spent time talking with people who look to me for hope and inspiration on their transformation journeys. I have been called a "hero" by some, and find myself  uncomfortable with that label. But, the truth is, if I can be a hope giver, an inspiration, and even a hero to others trying to put themselves in the equation and change their lives, I'm in. Let's go!

We all need heroes - not the comic strip kind, but real people who inspire, motivate, and challenge us to be better, stronger, braver... And sometimes we find those heroes in unlikely places. This past week, my path crossed directly or indirectly with at least four people - most in early- to mid-journey who have inspired and motivated ME! Indeed, they are my heroes as I head into this upcoming week aiming to execute my own plan at 100%.

Hero #1: One of those heroes, I met for coffee about a week ago. She shared her frustration that the weight-loss plan wasn't working as quickly for her as it did me, and she wasn't achieving the kind of results she expected. She was frustrated that the effort and the sacrifice were there, but not the results. She went on to describe that she is executing the plan at about 90%.

We discussed how 90% execution does not always/or often equate to 90% results. The customized plan we are on works with the body's chemistry. Each person/body is different and deviations from the plan have a different impact on different people. But most often 90% effort does NOT equate to 90% results. We also discussed the frustration that comes when you give so much personal effort and experience deprivation for less than desirable results. It's easy to get discouraged and that can be a slippery slope leading to even more deviation. Trust me, I know!

My advice was to do what I did when I was struggling and wasn't seeing the results I desired: Start executing the plan at 100% with absolutely no deviations. I encouraged her to try this experiment - even if just for three days - and see what happens. That means weighing and measuring everything according to plan, eating every meal on schedule, drinking the water, absolutely no snacking in between meals, and full execution of the fitness aspect of the plan. I went on to say that every time I did this experiment - EVERY TIME - the plan worked like a charm. I lost weight and usually garnered a surprisingly high fat loss number. And, I am certain that it is execution of the plan consistently over time that got me to 18.5% body fat, a 43% drop in 16 months. In other words, it was not the plan that was at issue, it was me!

Well, I am thrilled to report that this friend not only took my advice and executed at 100%, but inspired me to do the same. We messaged and supported each other throughout the week. She nailed it and lost nearly 5 lbs.! I, on the other hand, let emotional stress pull me off plan and my results showed less than 100%. So, she inspired me! And she is my hero for asking good questions, being willing to put her challenges out there and ask for help, and stay the course when the going gets tough.

Hero #2: My second hero of the week is a woman who claims that I am her hero, bar none. She talks of being on a very similar path to mine and was brave enough in our conversation to express her fears about a number of things, including the fear of failure. In hearing her story, I was struck by what an incredible and courageous person she is. Like me, she has battled her weight her entire life and has had to overcome emotional pain and anguish to put herself in the center of her life and change one day at a time.

Fear can be a show stopper, and often we have good reason to be scared. But to overcome that fear is an incredibly powerful and empowering thing. Life changing! Her ability to push past the fear, combined with her courage, strength, perseverance, and sheer determination are the qualities that will make her wildly successful in this journey.

This past week, she also executed the plan at 100% and the results showed. She is my hero...not just for her hard numbers, but for her honesty, authenticity, passion and determination to succeed despite incredible odds. I feel blessed to support her along this journey and am thrilled about the transformation she is seeing every day - like me - both inside and out!

Hero #3: Another woman that I don't know personally, except online, just ROCKED the transformation journey in big and bold ways this week. She not only had a BIG number (double-digit fat loss this week), she hit a significant milestone in her own journey. She is truly an inspiration to all who are privileged to know her personally and to those that support her and live her journey vicariously through social media.

She not only embraced a new and (some might argue) tougher plan, but she posted about it frequently and in the dialogue we all learned something about the science behind specifics of the plan AND about this woman's incredible strength, tenacity and determination. She is a shining example of what is accessible to us all when we execute the plan, even and especially when, the going gets tough.

I am so inspired by her incredible results and determination that I can't wait to see what happens next. She, too, has inspired me to execute at 100% this week - NO EXCUSES. Ironically, something I am struggling to do at this late juncture in my own journey.

Hero #4: My fourth hero of note didn't have the results she desired on the scale and is struggling big time. But she is my hero because of her positive outlook and perseverance. As the primary caretaker of an entire household of people, and faced with challenges every day that take the focus off program, she continues to keep an attitude of strength and determination with an eye on the long-term goal. Every day she reminds herself and me that she WILL succeed, and she keeps her composure and strength overall despite incredible emotional pressure and with sometimes little control over her time and her schedule.

I am impressed, heartened and inspired by these four woman. Although they reached out to me for help and support, each in their own way has become my unsung hero. They remind me that we are all constantly learning, growing, evolving and simply doing the best we can. And, sometimes without even knowing it, we inspire others. That is the greatest gift.

Thank you A, L, K, and S. You are my heroes.

Who are your unlikely heroes and what are they teaching you?

*To protect anonymity, I am not using names but these unsung heroes know who they are!

Before & After (-200+ lbs)

Watch my Transformation Journey in Video Slideshow

 

Here I am!

On the weekend of May 12, I hosted a celebration party at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts on Minnesota's North Shore to unveil the new transformed me to close family and friends. My mission was to thank my inner circle for their amazing love and support and for raising me up during the past 18 months. It was an incredible, emotion-filled, and simply perfect weekend that far exceeded expectations! Many of my family and friends met my transformation team - led by O'Neal Hampton and Leif Anderson - for the first time.

Today, my heart is full beyond compare. The warmth and gratitude that I feel for everyone who was there to celebrate with me - to those who have loved me at +200 lbs and throughout this life-changing journey - is simply beyond words.

A PICK ME UP!
The celebration weekend included many "firsts," as has this entire personal transformation journey. Perhaps the most significant was that a very special man picked me up off the ground and held me. Yes, lifted me!

My friend, confidant, trainer, and all around transformation chief, Leif Anderson, insisted on picking me up and giving me this moment. At the time, I was not convinced it was a good idea...or even possible. My head (inside) had not caught up with my body transformation (outside). After Leif reminded me that he knows exactly what I weigh, and trainer Jay Grove coached me on how to do it -- well, as you can see, Leif picked me up and we were both beaming. A man picking me up off the ground and holding me. A first!

I am not sure that I have properly thanked my Chief for that special moment. It is one I will remember for the rest of my life and was the most fitting tribute to the journey we have been on together to lose 200+ lbs and 43% body fat, and 10+ dress sizes. It was also the perfect way to start my celebration party with family and friends.

So THANK YOU CHIEF! Not just for that moment, but for enriching my life in ways I never thought possible and for giving me the strategic direction and the customized plan, as well as the love and support, that I needed to transform both inside and out. You truly rock this world and are God's gift to me and the many others whose paths you cross.

NO LONGER HIDING
There were many other "firsts" for me during this celebration weekend. As I walked into the party where 70+ friends and family were gathered to celebrate me, I instantly became overwhelmed. I realized during the dinner portion of the evening that for most of my adult life I have been hiding behind those 200 lbs. I have never been the star of the show, or the center of attention, not to mention in a short, sexy and sparkly dress and shoes!

So as I prepared to give my speech, I was overcome with emotion at my own transformation. There was joy, happiness and accomplishment at the center, but there was also fear. I was no longer hiding behind those 200 lbs and behind the scenes, I was unveiling the new transformed Lori for the whole world to see and get to know! And while that is exciting, energizing, and remarkable - it is also scary. It means that indeed the world will really "see" me. All of me.

They will see the good and the flaws. They will see the inside and now, for the first time ever, the outside will match. So this unveiling of the new me to Train's song Brand New Book was more meaningful than even I imagined until I was in the moment standing in front of my family and friends completely overwhelmed.

It turns out this weekend was much more than a celebration of where we'd been. It was the beginning of a whole new journey to put myself out in front of the world, without fear, without the comfort of 200 excess pounds and let them see me - really see me.

Okay, world, I am ready. So here I am!

Big hugs to all who helped me experience and celebrate some pretty incredible firsts.

Much love,
The new Lori

A BRAND NEW BOOK
Here I am
You still know me
Here I am
Take another look
Here I am
Same old story in a brand new book

Video of Lori's Transformation Journey
View photos from celebration party
View photos from celebratory mountain climb
View photos from Friday night celebratory gathering

Basking in the glow

One week ago today, I was in mid makeover with Minnesota Monthly Magazine and getting ready for my transformation celebration weekend at Surfside on Lake Superior. Today, I am home and basking in the glow of one of the most incredible weekends of my life.

I am fortunate to have so many amazing people -   family, friends and fans - who have supported me in this journey. My heart is full and my cup runneth over. There were MANY extraordinary moments during the weekend, and I can't stop smiling! I've been asked to share some photos here. It turns out, the entire world is not on Facebook! lol

Here are some of my favorite shots from a glorious celebration, and for me, a gratitude-filled weekend. I am blessed to be loved by so many awesome people. To all of you who have supported me in this journey and especially to those who loved me just as I was when I weighed +200 lbs - you raise me up. I am forever grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart...for everything.

Hugs!
Lori

 

In the equation!

How I transformed my body and reignited my life

NOTE: This past weekend I celebrated my personal transformation - a journey to put myself back in the equation of my life and be happy. I lost 200+ lbs, 43% body fat and 10 dress sizes in 16 months. But the real transformation has been how I feel on the inside. This is my story as published in my self-documentary book titled: She Climbed Until She Saw, A personal journey to climb a mountain.

I am a very different person today than I was just over a year ago. My life is full and happy. I smile more. Laugh more. Play more. Give more. And do more. I also weigh more than 200 pounds less and wear 10 dress sizes smaller. Yes, dresses. I’m actually wearing clothes that show off my style and a little leg – something I haven’t done since high school!

What inspired this transformation? I made a choice. A choice that would forever change the course of my life: I chose to put myself back into the equation of my life.

A history of imbalance

In the years leading up to that moment of decision, my life was busy but empty. I struggled to find hope. I had left “me” behind long ago. My start-up marketing firm called Marketing that Matters was several years in the making and I was working like a madwoman to serve clients literally day and night. I sat in an office chair 12-18 hours a day, six to seven days a week, starting work well before my colleagues and finishing long after most went to sleep.

My aggressive can-do attitude didn’t stop at my job. If a friend needed support, I was there. Worthy volunteer projects? No problem, I’d take them on. I was driven and quick to solve every problem and meet everyone’s needs...but mine. Some even called me Superwoman. But here’s what they didn’t know: While I felt satisfied by my ability to crank out the work and help so many people, I was slowly dying inside. As I tried to please everyone else, I was continually failing in one critical area: Me. I was not in the equation. 

Already depleted from my work and lack of sleep, I was living a sedentary lifestyle on a diet of processed and fast food. My emotional and stress levels were out of control. My relationships suffered. I was crabby and stressed. And, I ate to fill myself. As someone who had struggled with obesity her entire life and with a family history of heart disease, this was not a good path. It was slowly killing me.

In the five years I spent building my business, I grew to my heaviest weight on record: 381 pounds. Yes, a whopping 381 – bigger than most linebackers! I simply wasn’t making any time for myself—not even for my most basic needs. I wasn’t on my “to do” list – much less at the top of it – and as a result, I had turned from a positive person into someone whose glass was half empty.

Perhaps worst of all, I lost hope for a different life. Everything seemed too difficult. Worried that I would suffer a heart attack before age 50, my friend Jimbo would urge me, “Just walk to the end of your block, Lor. And the next day try to walk around the block.” But I always had an excuse. It felt too hard. I was too tired. The pressure was great, and the excuses came easy.

Recognizing the need for change

In 2010, after suffering a serious business setback due a betrayal of trust with a colleague and friend, I hit bottom. I couldn’t remember any goal beyond my dream to build a business, so Marketing that Matters became my sole focus. But as each work day passed, I feared for its success and, secretly, for my life. I didn’t know how to change the equation, and I certainly didn't know what kind of future was possible.

Then I got a phone call that set in motion a series of events that would change my life forever. And of course, it came through work.

My client Dennis Rysdahl at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts had met O’Neal Hampton from NBC’s reality TV show The Biggest Loser and called to ask if I was aware of the program. Of course I was! Dennis explained that O’Neal co-owned a company called Fitness North that was coming to one of his resorts, Surfside on Lake Superior, to host fitness boot camps throughout the year. The camps needed some brand and marketing muscle, so Dennis arranged a meeting with O’Neal and his business partner in the Twin Cities.

I will never forget the day I first met O’Neal Hampton. We spent hours sharing our personal stories, and when it came time for O’Neal to share his, we locked eyes and he assured me we could indeed do this together. “We’ve got this,” he said, and he didn’t take his eyes or his focus off me until my eyes welled up with tears. O’Neal made me believe again. He gave me hope…for the first time in a very long time. It was in that moment that I knew my life was about to change forever. I was ready.

As I walked to my car after that meeting, I cried. I cried because I had found a nugget of hope in I O’Neal’s belief in me. I cried because I knew deep in my heart that I would be successful and that meant the course of my life was about to change. And I cried because I was scared...no, terrified.

Not only did I leave the meeting with a new marketing client, but I had also committed to attending the Fitness North live-in boot camp, taking what would become my first steps toward a different life. With O’Neal as my inspiration and mentor, life would never be the same. I was going to put myself back into the equation and drop this weight that was sheltering me from the life I wanted.

Pushing the limits

How many of us really know what we are physically and mentally capable of? Marathon runners, strength and endurance athletes, sure. Those who fight and survive a terminal illness, certainly. Soldiers, fire fighters, police officers, of course. But not Lori Schaefer!

When the Fitness North boot camp finally arrived on Nov. 28, 2010, I was quick to find out just exactly what I was made of. The experience was indeed one of the most challenging, yet rewarding and influential experiences of my life. Every day I had to force myself out of bed—aches, pains, and emotions in tow – knowing that I would push my body, mind and spirit further than I had ever imagined possible.

The program was much like that of NBC’s Biggest Loser – it was intense. We worked out six to seven hours per day, every day – challenging cardio circuits, strenuous pool cardio, intense  workouts in the gym, long hikes on area trails and, yes, lots of mountain climbs – all while being encouraged and pushed by our skilled trainers past what we thought were our limits. I had to dig deep. It was tough, perhaps the toughest thing I will ever do. But each time I accomplished something I had previously thought I could not do, I felt more alive and on fire than ever in my life.

But it wasn’t just the workouts. At Fitness North, I had the opportunity to focus on myself every day for two full weeks. For some of us in the camp – certainly for me – it was the first time we had put ourselves first. We learned how to eat to support our bodies. We learned how we react to the tough stuff: to pain, to stress, to self-doubt and to heartache. But we also learned how to push through the pain and come out on the other side a stronger person. Ultimately, Fitness North gave us the tools and support we needed to succeed at home, where the hard work would continue.

At the end of the two week live-in boot camp, some of my new friends were understandably nervous to leave. But I left with hope and the confidence that if I did exactly what I was told to every day in the plan laid out for me, I would reach my goal weight and achieve my dreams.

A path forward

For me, the first and most important step toward changing my life was to decide what future I wanted to create for myself and then to resolve to achieve it. I would tackle my dream one day at a time, day after day after day. There was no stopping now.

Establishing a plan at the beginning of my journey was key. I defined what it meant to put myself back into the equation by establishing a checklist of non-negotiables. Working the customized nutritional and fitness program laid out for me by Leif Anderson of Leif Anderson Fitness became my top priority. I would also need to get enough sleep, limit my work hours, and ask for help when I needed it. Faced with tough decisions without obvious answers, I referred to this checklist of priorities, stuck by it, and sought counsel from my support team.

Of course I had to make sacrifices along the way. As I neared my goal weight, for example, I had to eat less food and workout more. I remember a particular time when one of these plans coincided with my company’s Christmas party, where I wanted nothing more than to toast my amazing new colleagues with a glass of my favorite wine. But, with my eye on the prize, I toasted my team with water while they enjoyed the Pinot Noir. And the truth is, I had a ball anyway. Inside, it felt good to choose me and make my goals the priority over indulging in the moment. I had rarely made that kind of choice in the past.

A brand new book

I’m proud to say that the plan worked brilliantly. I did it! We did it! My goal was to create a life where I exist at the center of the equation, and I’ve been successful because I made every decision over the past year and a half with that in mind. I committed myself 100% to my goal. I followed a customized nutritional and exercise strategy carefully laid out by my amazing transformation coach Leif Anderson. And day by day, week by week, I worked the plan.

It was not always a straight line. There were some real rough patches, and in those tough moments I sought support from O’Neal and my amazing support system, and kept myself accountable. I made no excuses. I persevered. And I celebrated successes along the way with friends and family.

Now as I continue to put myself first and focus on my overall health and happiness, everything is better. I am surrounded by friends and family who support me. I laugh and play and have fun every day. I attract positive new people and new opportunities. Marketing That Matters is thriving as a result of my team, not just me. And, unlike the days and weeks leading up to that fateful meeting with O’Neal, I smile constantly. Oh, and yes, I climb mountains.

Sixteen months after starting this journey, I weigh 200 pounds less, have 43% less body fat, and have lost more than 77 inches and 10 dress sizes. The hard results are impressive. But the unbelievable gift in all of this is how I have changed on the inside. Look at me! I am a brand new book. I have climbed the mountain, literally and figuratively, and I can see all the new possibilities for the new me.

Today, I am a fit and active girl who holds herself at the center of the equation. That means being true to both myself and to others. My glass is definitely half full. I seize opportunities fearlessly. I’m fun and fun loving. And I not only have hope…now I give hope. I inspire. I live in the moment and love every minute of it. My heart is overflowing. And I simply can’t wait to see what’s next!

What next?

Upon completing this leg of the journey, one of my goals is to share my story to inspire you to claim the life you’re meant to live. Just the way O’Neal Hampton inspired me.

I hope my journey serves as an example for how you too can put yourself back into the equation of your life. Only you can take those critical first steps toward change. But I am here to tell you, “we’ve totally got this!”

A balanced life...a passionate life

These days my life is incredibly full, crazy busy and scheduled. But I love it! I thrive on it. For me, work and life balance is more of an unattainable illusion than a goal. My goal is a life with me in the center of the equation that is full of the stuff I love to do and the people I love to do it with, and plenty of down time to recharge and prioritize the relationships that are important to me.

I wonder sometimes why society asserts that our goal should be work and life balance, indicating this is achieved by working 9-5 and striving for equal parts work, home life, personal time… That's not my life, and to be honest, I am not sure I desire it. I lead my life with passion, gusto and the can-do attitude of “what’s next?!” And I love that about me! That said, for far too many years I did this without myself and my needs in the picture...at all. And it just about killed me. I was focused on everyone and everything else and I wasn’t in the equation. So there was absolutely no balance, it didn’t work for me and I wasn’t happy.

But for nearly 1 ½ years now, I have managed to successfully keep Lori in the center of the equation while losing 200+ pounds and still getting an incredible amount of work and living done. I am packing it in and loving life. Indeed, I am happy.

I read a blog recently titled “The Myth of Life Balance” and considered it in the midst of my crazy busy and full life. Its fundamental point got me thinking: Is life balance or work and life balance really the end goal we strive for? Should it be? Perhaps living passionately is a better goal? For me, the definition of a passionate life is very different than that of work and life balance.

In a life of passion, I work hard, play hard, and rest hard – at different times and in different ways! As long as overall I am in the center of the equation, and as long as I am doing things I totally love and with people that I respect and have fun with, well, isn’t that right where I want and need to be? I think so.

So for me, the challenge is not to strive for work and life balance – equal parts home life, work life, social life…but rather to live a passionate life that makes me happy...one that holds me right smack in the center of the equation. It means prioritizing the things important to me, not necessarily others. And it starts with being clear about what I want to do, who I want to do it with, and how I want to spend my time and with whom.

At this stage of the game, there is no question my life includes me in the center. Just like there is no question it will be incredibly jam packed. I will always be a passionate person who tackles life with vim and vigor and that means working, playing, being, enjoying, resting and giving hard/at full capacity. But not necessarily in equal parts on equal days or in the way others might think I should do it. I’m okay with that.

Blogless in Saint Paul. Not!

Hi all,

I have been getting lots of questions lately about why the blogging hiatus. It's simple: I am writing a book. Yay!

Before you get too excited, it is a self-published book. The documentation of my personal transformation journey during the last 16+ months as told through before, during and after photos and my blog. It is the story of how I put myself back into the equation and transformed my life from the inside out, and its shows a timeline of personal transformation that is not only possible, but totally doable! (If for me, then for you.)

The book will be unveiled to family and friends at my thank you/celebration party May 12 at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts (only three weeks from today!). And, it will travel with me as I speak, write and inspire others toward their own personal transformation. Finally, I am hoping it is step one to a more public book of my personal transformation story. All aimed at helping others put themselves in the equation and experience the kind of life-altering joy and limitless possibilities I am attracting right now.

It has been a labor or love and would not have been even within the realm of possibility without my dear friend, confidant, sorority sister, and documentary photographer, and book designer - Jean Voxland. Jean has been with me on this journey as my friend and a "lion" in my den of supporters from day one. But she has played a much more profound role than I think even she recognizes. She has seen me (and photographed me) in times of struggle, in times of triumph, and she has photo-shopped images of me more than any other human being! She knows ALL my little secrets!

The truth is, I couldn't be more blessed to have this amazing and talented friend by my side throughout this journey and I thank God every day that she is hanging in there during these challenging days of trying to get the book done and to the printer before her daughter's wedding. Jean, I adore you and want others to know you as I do. I simply can't wait for the party where we get to celebrate together and everyone gets to meet you in person.

For those of you looking to my blogs for some hope, inspiration, tips, I apologize for the hiatus and I remind you what my mentor, friend and inspiration O'Neal Hampton told me at the beginning of this journey - we've totally got this! I promise I will be back very soon. I have 3-5 blogs in the making and my journey continues as I work the plan each and every day. I don't believe we are ever "done," just in a different phase. More coming on this topic soon!

Before I sign off, I wanted to share some of my before, during and after shots that will make their way into the book. Thanks for hanging in there with me. And I promise not only will there be new blog content, soon, but the book - well, it will be awesome. Can't wait to share it. I am just getting started! So much more to come from this new fit and active girl who is hell bent on changing the world, one transformation at a time.

Big hugs for a sunny and positive day. The law of attraction is at work in my life today and I am feeling incredibly blessed.

Lori

I don't want to live timidly...

I want to be bold in thought and kindness and gesture. I, we, must stretch in giving, reach in creativity, and enthusiastically attempt! Let us not live in fear...when our fear is to not really live.   - jodi hills

Transformation Confirmed. Whooo Hooo!

Healthy inside and out

This past week was monumental in my transformation journey. I am basking in the glow of some great numbers that confirm how far I've come in just over one year.

On April 1, I received my first body composition analysis via the bod pod -- a state of the art tool that measures and tracks lean body mass. Body-composition testing identifies your body fat and lean mass (muscles, bones, etc.). A person's body fat percentage is the total weight of your fat divided by your total weight, and consists of both essential body fat and stored body fat.

Although we love to measure our progress by weight on the scale, many experts believe that body fat percentage is a true measure of how healthy you are. As we know, high body fat is linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - all have occurred in my family. The body fat percentage was also the measure needed in order for the master of my transformation, Leif Anderson of Leif Anderson Fitness, to set a final goal weight. Something important to me!

For those of you that don't have a clue what a bod pod is (I didn't either), it looks like a time capsule and uses air displacement to measure your body composition. It's currently considered the gold standard of body composition testing. According to Leif, if you have body fat - the bod pod will find it! (As if I wasn't already nervous about getting in this thing and getting my true numbers!)

What is the right body fat percentage for a 40-something female? The internet offers varying stats but women athletes are in the 14-20% range. You're considered fit in the 21-24% range, and average is 25-32%. (Ranges vary depending on the source.)

My numbers: Based on a recent body fat percentage test on a hand held device, I expected my number to be around 26-27% and thought a great end goal would be 24% - in the "fit" range.

Well, I blew those numbers right out of the water at
18.5% bodyfat!

All these months of hard work to execute the plan laid out by the master chief have paid off. We managed to pull a number that shocked me, and I venture to say it may have shocked Leif, too. I couldn't be more excited! For perspective...

My starting body fat percentage was 61.5% - 
a crazy and dangerous number. 

The hard numbers of my transformation: 

More than 200 lbs lost and -43% bodyfat in 16 months!

Show & Tell: It gets better. Last week I had an annual check up at Health Partners. Those of you who know me well, know that I used to dread the doctor, and hospitals - well, my worst nightmare. This visit was different. The nurses and my doctor were so amazed with my transformation that several people paraded in to see me to witness it for themselves! lol My nurse, Renee, got so wrapped up in my story that she forgot to take my vitals. And my health numbers - rock solid. Yep, I actually had FUN at the doctor's office for the first time in my life. What a difference 200 lbs makes!

Honestly, I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to have confirmation of the hard results and to be coming into the home stretch on a transformation journey that is changing my life in every possible way. I have written countless times about the "soft" results and how fantastic I feel. But now, we have confirmation in hard numbers that the inside is healthy, too.

Thank you is simply not big enough. There are so many people to thank for helping me get to this incredible place. But there is no question that my transformation would not have been possible without the nutritional consulting expertise and customized plans orchestrated week after week, for 16 months, by my coach and friend, Leif Anderson. Chief, THANK YOU! Look what we did! :-) 

To Sandra Swami my trainer at Balance for Life Fitness Center who is in the trenches with me every week, and O'Neal Hampton my true inspiration on this journey - I thank you for your very critical roles in my success. Shari, Carrie, and Sue - my FN girls - and all of you who have supported me in this journey, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

And finally, to those of you in mid journey working the plan and focusing on the scale each week as your measure of success, I tell you this - Leif was right! Executing the plan, working the program day-after-day is far more important than a number on the scale and how we react to it. It's difficult to embrace that in the moment when the scale is the tool at hand, I know. I was among the first to get caught up in the emotion of it all and use the scale as my barometer of success!

It is only now that I have a body composition as my guide that I can see clearly how progress was being made on the inside even when the scale didn't always show it. So I encourage you to push ahead when you don't have the benefit of the numbers you want on the scale. I am living proof that this program works when you work it, bar none! And I so want that for each and every one of you.

I am working to stay grounded this week (not easy and not always happening). My goal for today, tomorrow and the next day is simply to keep my eye on the prize and stay focused on the goal. To keep walking the path. We're not there yet. But almost. And all I can say, is Wow. Healthy on the inside and out.


Hugs.

Lori